Apparatus for aligning and driving reinforcing members

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to the strengthening, preservation and extension of the life of wooden poles and, more particularly, to apparatus for aligning and for driving reinforcing members into such wooden poles for this purpose. Such apparatus has an elongated frame having a head end and a tail end, the head end having positioning means adapted to slide on the wooden utility pole and to position the apparatus on the wooden pole. The head end is provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position the pointed end of a first leg of an elongated body portion of the reinforcing member on the wooden pole to engage a first locating band, the head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with the leg-locating slot. A holding means on the elongated frame secures the reinforcing member in the apparatus and a ram is reciprocable in the ram slot and operable to drive the pointed end of the first leg through the fibrous material and the resinous material and into the wooden pole and to hook the first leg around the first locating band.

United States Patent Inventor Donald J. Stuart Chesterland, Ohio Appl. No. 796,621 Filed Sept. 6, 1968 Division of Ser. No. 645,929, June 14, 1967, Patent No. 3,475,874. Patented Feb. 16, 1971 Assignee United States Steel Corporation a corporation of Delaware APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING AND DRIVING ABSTRACT: This invention relates to the strengthening, preservation and extension of the life of wooden poles and, more particularly, to apparatus for aligning and for driving reinforcing members into such wooden poles for this purpose. Such apparatus has an elongated frame having a head end and a tail end, the head end having positioning means adapted to slide on the wooden utility pole and to position the apparatus on the wooden pole. The head end is provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position the pointed end of a first leg of an elongated body portion of the reinforcing member on the wooden pole to engage a first locating band, the head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with the leglocating slot. A holding means on the elongated frame secures the reinforcing member in the apparatus and a ram is reciprocable in the ram slot and operable to drive the pointed end of the first leg through the fibrous material and the resinous material and into the wooden pole and to hook the first leg around the first locating band.

APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING AND DRIVING REINFORCING MEMBERS This application is a divisional application of SER. No. 645,929 filed Jun. 14, 1967 now US. Pat. No. 3,475,874 issued Nov. 4, 1969 to Applicant and assigned to the Assignee of the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, wooden poles such as wooden utility poles, utilized for carrying wires for electrical power transmission and telephone and telegraph communication have been treated or impregnated with a preservative, such as creosote, pentachlorophenol, sodium chloride or the like prior to being set in place. Despite this treatment the wooden poles are subject to attach by insects, fungi and bacteria and physical damage caused by vehicles, fire, vandalism, lightening and the like, particularly in a zone ofweakness adjacent the ground level.

A process for repairing such damaged wooden poles is described in US. Pat. No. 3,390,951 issued July 2, 1968 to J. H. Finger et a1. and assigned to Penn Line Service, Inc., the assignee of a partial-interest therein from the assignee of this application. This process includes the steps of:

a. removing damaged material from the wooden pole;

b. applying a sterilizing or preservation agent, such as creosote or the like, to the sound wood adjacent the zone of weakness;

c. applying tightly an adhering circumferential metal upper locating band to the wooden pole above the zone of weakness and a similar lower locating band to the wooden pole below the zone of weakness;

d.- applying a glass fibrous sleeve and a resin to the wooden pole intermediate the upper locating band and the lower locating band;

e. driving longitudinal metal reinforcing members into the wooden pole and hooked around the upper locating band and the lower locating band;

f. applying additional circumferential bands over the reinforcing members and intermediate the upper locating band and the lower locating band;

g. applying an additional glass fibrous sleeve and a resin over the reinforcing members, additional bands and the upper locating band and the lower locating band; and

h. finally applying a spiral covering and an ultraviolet protective coating to the materials so'applied to the wooden pole. I

A reinforced wooden pole is contemplated in such application as an article of manufacture having:

a. a pair of spaced metal circumferential locating bands clamped to the wooden pole above and below the zone of weakness;

b. a resin impregnated glass fibrous sleeve adhered to the wooden pole and extending substantially between the upper locating band and the lower locating band;

c. longitudinal metal reinforcing or tension members attached to the wooden pole, hooked around the upper locating band and the lower locating band and overlying the glass fibrous sleeve;

d. additional circumferential metal bands clamped about the tension members between the upper locating band and the lower locating band;

e. an additional resin impregnated glass fibrous sleeve about the additional bands, the locating bands and the reinforcing members; and

f. a spiral covering impregnated with an ultraviolet protective coating overlying the additional fibrous sleeve.

Conventional tools of the type contemplated by this invention are shown in the following patents:

U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,107,555 to Walsh issued Feb. 8, 1938;

2,589,075 to Gravis issued Mar. 1 l, 1952;

2,637,030 to Wickman et a1. issued May 5, 1953;

2,691,908 to Lamberth issued Oct. 19, 1954;

2,994,878 to Abrahamson issued Aug. 1, 1961; and

3,060,441 to Henning issued Oct. 30, 1962.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of apparatus for aligning and for driving reinforcing members into a reinforced zone of a wooden utility pole, which apparatus:

a. permits properselective alignment of the reinforcing members on the pole;

b. permits unifonn longitudinal spacing of the reinforcing members in the pole;

c. holds the reinforcing members close to the pole surface,

thereby substantially reducing the tendency of the reinforcing member to crown or bow out when the second point of the reinforcing member is driven into the pole and providing a tensioned reinforcing member when it is driven into the pole;

d. is operable in the limited lower driving space adjacent the excavated area contiguous to the zone of weakness or zone to be reinforced to align and to drive the reinforcing member; and

. is readily disassembled for cleaning and solvent flushing to avoid clogging and jamming of the moving parts of the apparatus.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforesaid objects of this invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing apparatus for aligning and driving a reinforcing member into a wooden pole, the reinforcing member having a generally U-shaped configuration, an elongated body portion having a predetermined length, a first leg and a second leg. The wooden pole has a zone of weakness, a first locating band above the zone of weakness, a second locating band below the zone of weakness disposed the predetermined length from the first locating band, and a fibrous material and a resinous material covering the first locating band and the second locating band. Such apparatus has an elongated frame having a head end and a tail end. The head end has positioning means adapted to slide on a wooden utility pole and to position the apparatus on the wooden pole, the head end being provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position the pointed end of the first leg on the wooden pole to engage the first locating band, and the head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with the leg locating slot. Holding means are on the elongated frame for securing the reinforcing member in the apparatus and a ram is reciprocable in the ram slot and operable to drive the pointed end of the first leg into the fibrous material through the resinous material and into the wooden pole and to hook the first leg around the first locating band.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to the reinforcing of fibrous members, this invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the reinforcement of wooden poles having a zone of weakness and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view in cross section of a portion of a wooden pole having a zone of weakness or deterioration and showing the apparatus for aligning and driving the reinforcing member in solid lines and positioned on the wooden pole preparatory to driving the first leg of the reinforcing member into the wooden pole and the reinforcing member in dotted lines partially driven into the wooden pole;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the reinforcing member and the wooden pole eliminated for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the head end of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of the handle and the holding or clip means;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the guide means on the tail end of the apparatus taken from a position similar to the bottom of FIG. 2, and showing the guide member resting on the wooden pole with the reinforcing member partially inserted in the wooden pole;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus showing the first leg of the reinforcing member embedded in the wooden pole and the second leg of the reinforcing member aligned and secured by the apparatus preparatory for the driving operation;

FIG. 7 is a top elevational view of the head end of the apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an altemative embodiment of a tail end for the apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8 in the direction of the arrows;-

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a reinforcing member having its second leg offset 5 from its first leg; and

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the reinforcing member shown in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With specific reference to the form of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 6, 9 a wooden pole, such as a wooden utility pole having a zone of weakness 12 (FIGS. 1, 6), is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The damaged or rotten material on this wooden pole 10 has been removed from the zone of weakness 12. A sterilizing or preservation agent, such as creosote or the like, has been applied to the sound wood adjacent the zone of weakness l2. Tightly adhering circumferential metal first and second locating bands 14a and 14b (FIGS. 1, 6) have been secured to the wooden pole 10 above and below respectively the zone of weakness 12. A sleeve 16 (FIGS. 1, 6) of fibrous material and resinous material covers the first locating band 14a, the zone of weakness 12 and the second locating band 14b preparatory for the insertion of reinforcing members 20 (FIGS. 1, 6) into the wooden pole 10.

The sleeve 16 has a laminate, such as nonwoven fiberglas matting with randomly oriented fiber concentration of the glass fiber at about l /zounces per square foot. A resin (such as International Company Resin No. ICI660), a low-viscosity, fast-cutting thixotropic rapid-setting polyester in a styrene monomer and modified with cobalt naphthalene as a promoter and methyl ethyl keytone peroxide as a catalyst represents about 65 percent ofthe sleeve 16. The locating bands 14a, 14b are standard steel strapping having a nominal tensile strength of about l22,000 p.s.i. and about a 4,000 pound breaking strength at the clip. The reinforcing members 20 are harddrawn mechanical spring wire having a generally U-shaped configuration, an elongated body portion 20a (FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) of predetermined length, a first leg portion 20b (FIGS. 1, 3, 6) and a second leg portion 20c (FIGS. 1, 6). Each leg portion 20b, 200 has a pointed end 20d (FIGS. 1,3, 6) and the legs 20b, 200 are substantially parallel or unskewed.

APPARATUS The apparatus 11 (FIGS. 1, 2) has an elongated frame 22 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) having a head end 24 (FIGS. 1, 2,3) and a tail end 26 (FIGS. 1,2, 5). The head end 24 is a forging (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) having two wear plates 25 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) secured to the head end 24 by screws 28 (FIGS. 1, 2) and readily disassembled to permit cleaning of deposited resin. Such head end 24 has positioning means, such as the arcuate shoes 30 (FIG. 3) having a contact distance D, adapted to slide on the wooden pole l0 and contoured to the circumference of the wooden pole 10 to firmly position the apparatus 11 on the wooden pole 10 for the aligning and driving of the first leg portion 20b or the second leg portion 200 of the reinforcing member 20. The head end 24 is provided with a leg-locating slot or legpositioning slot 32 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) for positioning the pointed end 20d of the first leg 20b in position on the wooden pole 10 to engage the first locating band 14a. As shown in FIG. 1, the pointed end 20d digs into the sleeve 16 so as to positively contact the first positioning band 14a. The head end 24 is provided with a ram slot 34 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) in communication with said leg-locating slot 32.

Holding means, such as spring clips 37 (FIGS. 1, 4, 6), are mounted by screws 28b to the elongated frame 22 for securing the reinforcing member 20 in the apparatus 11 and for retaining the first leg 20b positioned in the leg-positioning slot 32.

A ram 36 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) having a circular cross-sectional area is reciprocable in the ram slot 34 and is operable by external means, such as a manually-operated hammer or automatic means (not shown) to drive the pointed end 20d of the first leg 20b through the sleeve 16 and into the wooden pole l0 and to hook the first leg 20b around the first locating band 14a. For the purpose of retaining the ram 36 in the ram slot 34, such ram 36 carries pin or guide means, such as the pin 38 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3), which pin 38 rides in extension slots 40 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) ofthe ram slot 34 (FIGS. 2, 3).

To permit handling of the apparatus 11, it is provided with a handle 42 (FIGS. 1, 2,4,5). As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, the tail end 26 is provided with guide means, such as the guide 44, which guide 44 is contoured to slide along the wooden pole l0 and is provided with tapered slot46 disposed at an angle X (FIG. 1) of about 10 from the axis of the elongated frame 22 (FIGS. 1, 2, 5) and for sliding on the body portion 20a of the reinforcing member 20. The apparatus 11 rides on the reinforcing member 20 as it moves from the solid-line position shown in FIG. 1, to the position shown in FIG. 6 with the weight of the apparatus 11 and hand pressure, thereby preventing crowning or bowing of the reinforcing member 20 and permitting the tight tensioned insertion of the reinforcing members 20 into the wooden pole 10. The reinforcing member body 20a rides in a slot provided in head end 24.

When the apparatus 11a (FIG. 6) is tilted into the position shown in FIG. 6, the arcuate shoes 30 on the head end 24 are resting by means of their rearward portions 30a on the sleeve 16 on the wooden pole 10 and the slot 46 bears on the elongated portion 20a of the reinforcing member 20 with the pointed end 20d of the second leg 20c resting on the sleeve 16 adjacent the second locating band 14b preparatory for the driving of the second leg 200 into the wooden pole l0 and the hooking of such second leg 20c around the second locating band 141).

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS It will be understood by those skilled in the art that alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus 11a (FIGS. 6, 7) is provided with a head end 24a having two side plates 24c F IG. 7) and end plate 24b connected by bolts 28a together and to the elongated body or frame 22a. The ram 36a (FIGS. 6, 7) having a rectangular cross section is provided with an elongated slot 50 (FIG. 6) and the head end 24a has pin or guide means, such as the pin 38a (FIG. 6) extending into the slot 50 to retain the ram 36a in the ram slot 340. Further the spring clips 37 (FIG. 6) can be mounted about stops 52 (FIG. 6) on the elongated frame 22a to position the elongated body 20a of the reinforcing member 20 against the stop 52 (FIG. 6), rather than the underside of the elongated body 22 (FIG. 4). In addition the closed handle 42 (FIG. 1) can be replaced by the open handle 42a (FIG. 6).

In FIGS. 8, 9, the tail end 26a is a supporting member 54 having legs 54a, 54b (FIG. 9) and is provided with a guide slot 54c for the elongated body 20a of the reinforcing member 20. When the arcuate shoes 30 tilt backwardly onto the rearward portion 30a into the position of FIG. 6, the supporting member 54 (FIG. 9) rests on the sleeve 16 on the wooden pole 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 5, the shoes 30 on the head end 24 (FIG. 3) and the shoes 306b on the guide 44 (FIGS. 2, respectively are provided with extensions 56 (FIG 5) which are slidable in dovetail slots 58 in the shoes 30 and guide 44 respectively and are fixed in the desired position by screws 28c in slots 29 (FIGS. 2, 5) in guide 44 to provide the desired distance D/Z to space adjacent reinforcing members on the wooden pole 10. The extensions 56 on the shoes 30 on the head end 24 (FIG. 3) are not shown in FIG. 3.

SUMMARY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of this invention have been achieved by providing an improved apparatus for aligning and for driving a reinforcing member into a wooden pole, which apparatus permits proper selective alignment of the reinforcing members on the wooden pole, permits uniform longitudinal spacing of the reinforcing members in the wooden pole, holds the reinforcing members close to the pole surface, thereby substantially reducing the tendency of the reinforcing member to crown or bow out when the second pointed leg of the reinforcing member is driven into the wooden pole, is operable in the limited driving space adjacent the excavated area contiguous to the zone of weakness or zone to be reinforced to align and to drive the reinforcing member, and is readily disassembled for cleaning and solvent flushing to avoid clogging and jamming of the moving parts of the apparatus.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, preferred and alternative embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

Iclaim: I

1. Apparatus for aligning and driving a reinforcing member into a wooden pole, said reinforcing member having a generally U-shaped configuration, an elongated body portion having a predetermined length and a first leg and a second leg having a pointed end, said wooden pole having a zone of weakness, a first locating band above said zone of weakness, a second locating band below the zone of weakness said predetermined length from said first locating band, and a fibrous material and a resinous material covering said first locating band and said second locating band, said apparatus having:

a. an elongated frame having a head end and a tail end;

I. said head end having positioning means adapted to slide on said wooden pole and to position said apparatus on said wooden pole;

2. said head end being provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position said pointed end of said first leg on said wooden pole in engagement with said first locating band;

3. said head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with said leg locating slot;

b. holding means on said elongated frame for securing said reinforcing member in said apparatus; and

c. a ram reciprocable in said ram slot and operable to drive said pointed end of 1 said first leg through said fibrous material and said resinous material and into said wooden pole and to hook said first leg around said first locating band.

2. The apparatus recited in claim I wherein said tail end is provided with guide means adapted to slide along said elongated body portion and to engage said elongated body portion in substantially straight line contact therewith so that said second leg with said pointed end adjacent said second locating band is disposed in the desired registry with said first embedded leg, said head end being slidable on a rear end portion of said positionin means to tilt said guide means inwardly toward said woo en pole to provide access for driving said second leg.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide .means is provided with a slot disposed at an acute angle X from the axis of said elongated frame and said wooden pole to facilitate the tilting of said apparatus.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said ram is provided with an elongated slot and said head end carries a pin means engageable with said elongated slot to retain said ram in said ram slot.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said holding means is a spring clip.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein said spring clip is mounted on a fixed stop.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said tail end is provided with supporting means adapted to slide on said wooden pole and on said elongated body portion to retain said reinforcing member in registry with said first embedded leg.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said positioning means on said head end is generally contoured to the circumference of said wooden pole.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide means on said tail end is generally contoured to the circumference of said wooden pole.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein positioning means on said head end has a first spacing means for spacing adjacent reinforcing members.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide means on said tail end has a second spacing means for spacing adjacent reinforcing members.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said head end is provided with an elongated head slot and said ram carries another pin means engageable with said elongated head slot to retain said ram in said head end. 

1. Apparatus for aligning and driving a reinforcing member into a wooden pole, said reinforcing member having a generally Ushaped configuration, an elongated body portion having a predetermined length and a first leg and a second leg having a pointed end, said wooden pole having a zone of weakness, a first locating band above said zone of weakness, a second locating band below the zone of weakness said predetermined length from said first locating band, and a fibrous Material and a resinous material covering said first locating band and said second locating band, said apparatus having: a. an elongated frame having a head end and a tail end;
 1. said head end having positioning means adapted to slide on said wooden pole and to position said apparatus on said wooden pole;
 2. said head end being provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position said pointed end of said first leg on said wooden pole in engagement with said first locating band;
 3. said head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with said leg locating slot; b. holding means on said elongated frame for securing said reinforcing member in said apparatus; and c. a ram reciprocable in said ram slot and operable to drive said pointed end of said first leg through said fibrous material and said resinous material and into said wooden pole and to hook said first leg around said first locating band.
 2. said head end being provided with a leg locating slot adapted to position said pointed end of said first leg on said wooden pole in engagement with said first locating band;
 2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said tail end is provided with guide means adapted to slide along said elongated body portion and to engage said elongated body portion in substantially straight line contact therewith so that said second leg with said pointed end adjacent said second locating band is disposed in the desired registry with said first embedded leg, said head end being slidable on a rear end portion of said positioning means to tilt said guide means inwardly toward said wooden pole to provide access for driving said second leg.
 3. said head end being provided with a ram slot in communication with said leg locating slot; b. holding means on said elongated frame for securing said reinforcing member in said apparatus; and c. a ram reciprocable in said ram slot and operable to drive said pointed end of said first leg through said fibrous material and said resinous material and into said wooden pole and to hook said first leg around said first locating band.
 3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide means is provided with a slot disposed at an acute angle X from the axis of said elongated frame and said wooden pole to facilitate the tilting of said apparatus.
 4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said ram is provided with an elongated slot and said head end carries a pin means engageable with said elongated slot to retain said ram in said ram slot.
 5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said holding means is a spring clip.
 6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein said spring clip is mounted on a fixed stop.
 7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said tail end is provided with supporting means adapted to slide on said wooden pole and on said elongated body portion to retain said reinforcing member in registry with said first embedded leg.
 8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said positioning means on said head end is generally contoured to the circumference of said wooden pole.
 9. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide means on said tail end is generally contoured to the circumference of said wooden pole.
 10. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein positioning means on said head end has a first spacing means for spacing adjacent reinforcing members.
 11. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said guide means on said tail end has a second spacing means for spacing adjacent reinforcing members.
 12. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said head end is provided with an elongated head slot and said ram carries another pin means engageable with said elongated head slot to retain said ram in said head end. 